Piano-action.



No. 776,841. PATENTED DEC. 6, 1904. H. HORNBEGK.

PIANO ACTION.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 16, 1904.

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H. HQRNBEGK. PIANO ACTION. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 16, 1904.

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I WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES Patented December 6, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY HORNBECK, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO ANNIEL. SEE, OF CRANFORD, NEWV JERSEY.

PIANO-ACTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 776,841, dated December6, 1904:.

Application filed March 16, 1904. Serial No. 198,336. (No model.)

To all whmn it pea/y concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY HORNBEOK, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Elizabeth, Union county, State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Piano-Actions, of whichthe following is a specification. 1

My invention relates to piano-actions, and has for its object to providean eflicient and durable device for connecting the hammers with theirsupport and for assisting the rebound of the hammers.

My invention will now be described in detail, and the novel featureswill then be pointed out in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1is a side elevation of a hammer and adjacent parts constructed accordingto my invention. Fig. 2 is a front view of the hammer and its support.Fig. 3 is an enlarged rear view of the hammer-support. Fig. 4: is a sideelevation showing another form of my invention. Fig. 5 is a frontelevation of the construction shown in Fig. 4. Figs. 6 and 7 are a sideelevation and a front elevation, respectively, of still another form ofmy invention. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the spring used in Figs. 6and 7. Fig. 9 is a partial-sectional elevation substantially on line 9 9of Fig. 7. Figs. 10 and 11 are a side elevation and a front elevation,respectively, of a further form of my invention. Fig. 12 is a sectionalelevation on line 12 12 of Fig. 11. Fig. 13 is a sectional elevation ofmy invention as applied to a grand-piano action, and Fig. 1 1 is apartial plan of the construction shown in Fig. 13.

The forms of construction illustrated by Figs. 1 to 12, inclusive, areintended for upright pianos, while the form of construction shown inFigs. 13 and 14: is designed for a grand piano.

As illustrated by Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the hammer-butt A has a stem A, ahammer A, and a felt-covered shoulder or recess A", adapted to beengaged by the fly or jack B, which throws the hammer to the strikingposition in any approved manner.

My invention relates to the connection of the hammer, and especially thehammer-butt A, with the stationary support, generally in the nature of arail C. According to my invention that portion of a hammer-butt which istoward the support 0 is forked, as shown at A in Fig. 2. and is providedat the end of the forked portion with an angular recess A preferablycovered with felt. This angular recess is adapted to receive a fulcrummember D, the upper portion of which is preferably bifurcated, as shownat D in Fig. 3, and curved, as shown in Fig:- 1, corresponding to onewall of the angular recess A. The upper edge of the fulcrum member Drests in the corner of the recess A and forms a fulcrum on which thehammer swings. Between the fork members A and D extends a spring E, theupper end of which is secured to the hammer-butt A in any suitablemanner as, for instance, by means of a lead plug E while the lower endof the spring is secured to the fulcrum member D by means of a screw F,which also connects said fulcrum member with a stationary bracket orso-called flange G, secured to the support G by means of a screw H.

In order to adjust the fulcrum member D vertically to compensate forwear of the felt engaging its upper edge, the openings 1) D throughwhich screws F Hfextend, may be elongated, as shown in Fig. 3, and a pinGr may be projected from the bracket or flange G to engage a notch D",so as to guide the fulcrum member 1) during its adjustment.

I prefer to so arrange the upper fastened end of the spring E relativelyto the upper edge of the fulcrum member D that the spring will beapproximately straight from said attached end to the point where itengages the fulcrum member at its central'notch D. The action of thespring can be regulated to a certain extent, if desired, by bending thespring more or less before it is attached to the hammer and to thefulcrummember. It will be understood that by locating the spring betweenthe fork members A" the hammer is efiiciently guided, and by causing thespring to pass between the fork members DEany lateral swaying of thespring and hammer is prevented. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 1, I mayso arrange the parts relatively to each other that as the hammer movesfrom the hammer-rail Z) toward the strings a the resistance at thefulcrum formed by the edge of member I) and the felt of recess A willdecrease gradually and will be practically ail as the striking positionis reached. The rebound of the hammer will be suflicient to start it onits return movement, and the spring will fully restore the hammer to itsoriginal position.

In Figs. L and 5 the hammer-butt I has an angular recess 1 engaged bythe upper edge of the fulcrum member J, which is secured directly to thesupport C. The lower end of the hammer-butt is forked, as shown at I andbetween the fork members extends the spring K, the upper end of whichmay be secured to the hammer-butt in the same manner as before, asindicated at K, while the lower end of the spring has a forked portion Ksecured to the fulcrum member J adjustably by means of a screw L. Theupper edge of the fulcrum member J may be notched at the center toreceive the spring K and guide it against lateral swaying in the samemanner as hereinbefore explained in connection with the forked end D ofthe fulcrum member D.

In Figs. 6 and 7 the hammer-butt M, having the angular recess H and thefork members M is connected with the spring N at N in any suitablemanner and swings on the fulcrum member O, which is secured to thesupport G, as by means of a screw O, and the adjustment for wear and forvarying the tension of the spring is in this structure effected in asomewhat different manner from that previously described. Apressure-plate P is secured to the fulcrum member 0, so as to liebetween said member and the spring N, and this pressure-plate may beforced away from the fulcrum member more or less by means of anadjusting-screw Q. The free edge of the fulcrum member 0 is in this casealso i OtCllBd at the center, as indicated at O in In Figs. 10, 11, and12 the hammer-butt R has a forked lower portion R to receive the springS, the upper edge of which is secured to the hammer-butt at S. The lowerend of the spring is bent around a pin T, which virtually forms part ofthe fulcrum member T, secured to the support G The pin T extendslaterally and engages angular felt-lined recesses R in the fork portionR of the hammer-butt. In order to securely hold the pin T in its properadjusted position, a supplementary section T is connected withthcfulcrum member T by means of a clamping-screw T. A pin T, engaging aslotT serves to prevent the auxiliary section T from turning.

In order to apply my invention to a grandpiano action, I may make use ofthe construction shown in Figs. 13 and 14, where the hammer-buttUhas aforked end portion U, provided at the ends with angular recesses U",engaged by the edge of the fulcrum member V. This fulcrum member hasacentral notch V at its free end to receive and guide the spring \V, oneend of which is secured to the hammer, as at W, while the other end issccured to the fulcrum member V by means of a screw and clamping-nut X,which also secure the fulcrum member V to a bracket or flange Y,fastened to the supporting-rail C by means of a screw Z. In order thatthe fulcrum member V may be adjusted, it is provided with slots V V",through which the screws Z and X pass, and a recess V for the receptionof a pin Y, projected from the bracket Y.

Each of the constructions above described affords an efficient anddurable support for the hammer, permitting the hammer to be swung to andfrom its striking position without the exertion of great pressure andalso allowing the tension to be readily varied and wear to be taken up.

A very important advantage of the construction herein described is thedurableness of the fulcrum connection of the hammer. The pins usuallyemployed as fulcrums cause considerable wear in the lining of the holesreceiving such pins, and, moreover, it is very difficult to line suchopenings properly and uniformly. All these drawbacks are avoided by theuse of my invention.

I desire it to be understood that instead of giving a forkedconstruction to the hammerbutt to receive the spring and providing anedge or other projection on the stationary fulcrum member to engage theforked portion of the hammer the construction might be reversed-that is,the stationary member might be made with a fork and the hammer-butt withan edge or other projection arranged to engage the fork of thestationary member. Such reversal I consider as within the scope of myinvention, and the appended claims I desire to be interpreted ascovering such rcversal. I

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. Ina piano-action, a hammer having a forked butt-end, in combination with aspring extending within the fork of the butt-end, and a stationarysupport for the projecting end of the spring, said spring being securedto the hammer and forming a connection to hold the hammer against itsfulcrum.

2. In a piano-action, a hammer having a forked butt-end, in combinationwith a spring extending within said fork and secured to the hammer, astationary fulcrum member engaging the fork members, and means forsecuring the spring to said fulcrum member.

3. In a piano-action a hammer having a forked butt-end, with angularrecesses in the ends of the fork members, a stationary fulcrum memberhaving portions located within the said recesses of the hammer and inengagement therewith, and a spring secured to the hammer and to thefulcrum member and extending between the fork members of the hammer.

4. In a piano-action, a hammer having a forked butt-end with recesses inthe end faces of the fork members, a stationary fulcrum member havingportions engaging the fork members at said recesses, a spring secured tothe hammer and extending within the fork thereof, and means for securingthe projecting end of the spring to a stationary support.

5. In a piano-action, a'hammer having a forked butt-end, a stationarysupport, a spring secured to said stationary support and to said hammerand extending between the fork members of the hammer, and a fulcrummember arranged to engage the fork members of the hammer and adjustableon said stationary support toward and from the hammer.

6. In a piano-action, a hammer having a forked butt-end with angularrecesses in the end faces of the fork members, in combination with astationary fulcrum member engaging said fork members at their recessesand provided with a central notch and a spring socured to said fulcrummember and to the hammer and extending within the notch of the fulcrummember and between the fork members of the hammer.

7. In a piano-action, a hammer having a forked butt-end with recesses inthe end faces of the fork members, in combination with a spring securedat one end to the hammer and extending between the fork members thereof,and with a fulcrum member engaging the hammer at the recesses thereof,the other end of the spring being secured to said fulcrum memher so asto lie in an approximately straight line between the fulcrum member andthe other attached end of the spring.

In testimony whereof I have signed my'name

